Lawmakers Want to Regulate Violent Video Games
FTC Report Shows Stores Have Improved in Limiting M-Rated Games to Minors
Of course, critics and supporters of the video game industry have used the report to bolster their arguments in different ways.
According to the industry, the report shows that not only do they not need government regulation introduced by the Matheson-Terry bill, but they're doing a good job regulating themselves.
"Empowering parents, not enacting unconstitutional legislation, is the best way to control the games children play," said Michael Gallagher, president of the Entertainment Software Association, in a statement. The association represents video game publishers and developers.
The Entertainment Consumers Association, a group that represents gamers, says the legislation is unconstitutional.
"We're really happy that the FTC report came out when it did," said Jennifer Mercurio, the association's director of government affairs. "At the same time, we're disturbed by the latest piece of legislation that's being promulgated by a couple of members in Congress."
Because the video game ratings system is a voluntary and private system, just like the ratings used in movies, Mercurio says that it can't be regulated.
"The government has never stepped in and done this," she said.
Similar laws in nine states have been passed, then later struck down by federal courts as unconstitutional, according to Mercurio.
"As new entertainment content has been created and established, the First Amendment protects that content. That includes violence in movies, violence in books," Mercurio said. "Why has it been hitting video games harder? It's become video games are the newest content. … Video games are protected, exactly like music, movies and books."
She added, "We feel that the industry is doing a darn good job."
But Gavin McKiernan, the national grass-roots director of the Parents Television Council, says that despite the improvements made by retailers, the FTC report shows there's room for improvement that might be bolstered by the proposed law.
"I think they reenforce one another. The industry is making improvement and moving in the right direction," McKiernan said. "They should welcome the challenge. … Perhaps [the industry] still needs a little more incentive or they need to be watched a little more closely."
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